In 1958 the first board president was elected and the membership established under the name of the Marion Humane Society. It was not until 1960 that the Marion Humane Society was incorporated as a not for profit organization and in 1963 the name was changed to the Marion Grant County Humane Society Inc. whereas Grant County began to contribute financially to the Humane Society. In 1968 a shelter was built by the Society on Tulip Drive in Marion, IN and although small in size with 13 indoor kennels and a 10’ x 10’ room with stacked cages the humane society never lost focus of their purpose to aid in the prevention of cruelty and harm in all its various forms upon animals.
In November of 1997 the Society through generous donations and fundraising efforts bought an existing building on Avon Avenue in Marion, IN and renovated it into a 40 dog kennel shelter with an open area for kitty condos and within a few years established the Marion Grant County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic in an offsite rented facility. For many years up until 2008 the Marion Grant County Humane Society was responsible for the contractual services to the City of Marion and of Grant County for animal control. Eventually due to insufficient funding and deterioration of the shelter building and with the addition of a city operated animal control facility the Humane Society was forced to close their shelter.
The Marion Grant County Humane Society’s work continued in spite of not having an actual building through foster care homes, the operation of the spay neuter clinic, organized adoption events and fundraisers. By April of 2011 the Society had regrouped and through generous donors, dedication and determination had officially reopened a 5,000 sq. ft. facility, now called the Marion Grant County Humane Society Animal Orphanage and Rescue, with the spay neuter clinic on site, spacious kennel areas, a cat aviary with outside access, a large exercise yard for the dogs, quarantine areas and a separate mother and babies room. The Marion Grant County Humane Society’s goal is to operate as a no kill animal orphanage and rescue facility and to work diligently “Until They All Have a Home”.